


we're here tonight (and that's enough)

by poiregourmande



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series), Buzzfeed: Worth It (Web Series), Watcher Entertainment
Genre: Baking, Barely Any Negotiations, Domestic Fluff, Everyone Is Into Everyone Else, F/F, F/M, Getting Together, Holidays, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Vignettes, just go with it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:18:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21920119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poiregourmande/pseuds/poiregourmande
Summary: hear ye, hear ye, holiday baking extravaganza at andrew & thespi’s this saturday afternoon be there or you might miss a holiday smooch from the shanester
Relationships: Adam Bianchi/Annie Jeong, Adam Bianchi/Sara Rubin, Andrew Ilnyckyj/Shane Madej, Kelsey Impicciche/Marielle Scott, Ryan Bergara/Annie Jeong, Ryan Bergara/Marielle Scott, Shane Madej/Sara Rubin, Shane/Sara/Andrew/Thespi/Ryan/Marielle/Adam/Annie/Kelsey/Steven, Steven Lim/Thespi Guatieri, Thespi Guatieri/Andrew Ilnyckyj
Comments: 16
Kudos: 35
Collections: RareBuzzShips Holiday Event





	we're here tonight (and that's enough)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mukemagic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mukemagic/gifts).

> hey, you know what would be a good idea? i said  
a ten-people ship, i said
> 
> it's the holidays, why not take on my most ambitious project yet, right?
> 
> i'd like to credit [jenn](https://hallowwen.tumblr.com/) for all her cheering on and for letting me shamelessly steal some lines

It all started when Thespi posted in the couples group chat she and Andrew have going on with Shane and Sara. 

**thespi.ilnasty | ** _ lets make a new tradition and get together for a holiday baking day  _

**sweetestsara ** |  _ I’m in if we make latkes _

**andrewilnasty ** |  _ i think we’re gonna need adam  _

**watchershane** |  _ if he gets to invite adam I get to invite ryan  _

**andrewilnasty ** |  _ explain to me how the guy who can’t even make an omelet is an essential addition to our baking extravaganza  _

**sweetestsara** |  _ if we invite adam we’ll have to invite steven or else he’s gonna pout and we’ll never hear the end of it  _

_ watchershane has added watchersteven,watcher.ryan, adambeyoncé, kelseydangerous, mari.mouse and gudetamannie to the chat _

**watchershane ** |  _ hear ye, hear ye, holiday baking extravaganza at andrew & thespi’s this saturday afternoon be there or you might miss a holiday smooch from the shanester  _

**watcher.ryan** |  _ I’m in if you promise you won’t smooch me  _

**watchershane ** | I don’t make promises I can’t keep

***

Thespi is brewing a big pot of tea for everyone before they start arriving, when Andrew walks into the kitchen. 

His beard neatly trimmed, his hair slightly mussed, he’s wearing a light blue button-down that clings to his frame, his sleeves rolled at the elbow. 

She kisses his cheek. “You’re looking spiffy,” she remarks. “You always do, when we see Shane and Sara,” she says, her voice light and carefree. 

Andrew chokes on nothing, nervously fiddling with his cuffs, his watch, his hair. “I don’t know what you’re talking about?”

“Sure you do,” she boops his nose. “I know you like him, it’s okay.”

The doorbell rings as Andrew stands like a deer in the headlights. 

“Why do you think I invited them?” she chirps, a spring in her step as she goes to answer the door. 

***

“What are you doing with bread flour?” Sara asks, picking a pack out of Shane’s cart. 

“Is that bread flour?” he asks distractedly. 

She points at the word bread, the array of breads pictured on the bag. 

“We need pastry flour,” she says, but her tone’s light, airy. “You’re a little scatterbrained, today, aren’t ya?” She boops his nose. 

Shane would like to think he didn’t blush but the heat pooling in his cheeks says otherwise. She’s kind enough not to point out how earlier he picked up almond extract instead of vanilla. 

“I know it’s a lot,” she says softly. “Ryan, Andrew, and Kelsey all in the same place. But it’s gonna be good, yeah?”

Shane rakes a hand through his hair, leaving him looking every bit the bisexual mess he feels like. 

“You know me too well,” 

“I know,” she says, sighing exaggeratedly. “It’s a blessing and a curse.”

“How is it a curse?” he asks, lips curling in amusement. 

She pulls at his scarf gently. “You think it was easy to watch you pine after Ryan for months without noticing?”

“It was probably easier than said pining,” Shane grumbles. 

“You think today’s the day?”

Shane just grabs a bag of powdered sugar and keeps shopping in silence. 

***

Ryan stands in a pile of rumpled shirts, a desperate look on his face. Marielle wheezes, completely insensitive to her boyfriend’s plight. 

“Stop — stop laughing,” he pouts. “It’s not funny!”

“Ryan, baby. Why is it so important? You’re fine like this — if I know you, you’re gonna spill something on it anyway.”

Ryan blushes. “It’s — it’s not important, it’s just — well, people are gonna look nice, aren’t they? I wouldn’t want to look out of place.”

“And…?”

“And nothing,” Ryan squeaks. 

“Ryan.”

“And Annie’s gonna be there.” He’s almost as red as his burgundy shirt by now. 

“There you go.” Mari grins, and gosh, how did he luck out in getting a girlfriend so sweet, so kind, and hilarious, and sexy, and — he might be getting carried away. 

He smoothes over his shirt self-consciously. “So you’re sure this is fine?”

Mari rolls her eyes fondly. “Go with your grey sweater, the cozy one.”

Ryan lets out a relieved sigh and goes back to his closet. 

“Or just go shirtless, we all know that’s what you really want, baby.”

***

Sunshine falls warm on the sheets tangled around Adam’s legs, highlights his freckled back and Annie wants to touch. She knows the skin would be soft, warm under her touch, she knows Adam would be ticklish around the hips, she knows in a few seconds his eyes will open, and they’re gonna be honey-golden under the sun, and she’s gonna make coffee and he’s gonna make breakfast, and his kisses will taste like maple syrup. 

Adam beams before he even opens his eyes. He doesn’t have to say it for Annie to know. She knows he’s missed Steven, ever since he left. She knows Adam’s feelings for him have… developed since he left. Missing him turned into more, turned into want and need and… he hasn’t said that word yet, but Annie knows he feels it. 

She knows he’s got hopes for the day, hopes beyond cookies and a good time with friends. Hopes he’s not able to voice yet, but she knows her boyfriend. She runs a hand through his hair and kisses his forehead. 

“Ready for the day?” she asks softly.

He opens his eyes and kisses the inside of her wrist. “Hmm.”

***

So the thing is.

Kelsey’s looking forward to the holiday baking extravaganza, she really is. 

But like.

The guest list is all couples. Four couples, to be exact.

Plus her.

And Steven Lim. 

Which, don’t get her wrong, she loves Steven, but like… is it A Thing?

Are they getting set up? She wouldn’t put it past Sara and Thespi, these scheming beans. 

So the plan is to not get to Thespi and Andrew’s too early — she knows Steven is a punctual guy and she doesn’t want to be the first one there along with him (nothing against the guy, she just… would like more of a buffer between them if they  _ are _ getting set up). She makes a detour to get orange juice and sparkling wine, figures some mimosas wouldn’t be remiss even if it’s not a brunch.

As luck would have it, of course, she gets out of her car at the same time as one Mr. Steven Lim.

“Oh, hey!” she calls as he crosses the street to join her.

“Hey, Kelsey!” Is it her imagination, or is he blushing at her sight? Maybe he’s in on it. Or maybe he also realized their shared singleness and is having the same train of thought as her. 

“You look beautiful,” he says, taking in her festive skater dress, and leaning in to kiss her cheek.

Oh. 

A tiny thrill settles in the pit of her stomach, not unwelcome. Is it just the unexpected attention, or does she like Steven? Maybe she should.

(It would certainly be better than pining after Ryan’s girlfriend like an idiot.)

***

“He got the wrong sugar,” Sara announces, emptying her tote bags across Andrew and Thespi’s kitchen counter. 

“I did not get the wrong sugar!” Shane exclaims, reaching to read the label. _ Icing sugar _ , it says. “...Okay I got the wrong sugar, but it should still work, right?”

Adam lightly shoulder bumps him to get a look. “I mean, it’s gonna work for the icing on the cookies, but we’re gonna need brown and white sugar for the rest.”

“I think we have some in the pantry,” Thespi says. “You can ask Andrew.”

There’s a reason they’re doing this whole extravaganza here. Thespi and Andrew have the perfect kitchen. Like, magazine-perfect. Tons of counter space, an island, two ovens and a double range, and an actual walk-in pantry. 

Shane is walking to said walk-in pantry, shaky breath and sweaty palms. Inside he finds Andrew, and his heart skips a beat. Why does he have to look so nice for a simple baking afternoon with friends? His light blue shirt hitches high over his hips as he’s reaching for a tall shelf, and Shane wants to touch. His cheeks are tinged with pink from the effort, and Shane wants to kiss. 

“Need a hand?” Shane says. 

Andrew startles but chuckles. “Oh, hey. Um, sure, could you grab that blue box? All our cookie cutters and piping tips are in there.”

It may be a walk-in pantry, but it’s still not huge — Shane has to press up against Andrew’s back to reach the box, because there’s nowhere else for him to go. 

“Here.” He presses the box into Andrew’s hands, maybe lingering a bit too long. 

Andrew looks down and Shane cannot help staring at his long eyelashes. They’re both still holding the box and Shane can feel the heat of Andrew’s fingers next to him. 

It’s… a moment. 

“Sugar!” Shane exclaims, remembering why he came in. 

“Sorry?”

Shane lets go of the box. “I — um. only bought icing sugar. Thespi said you have brown and white?”

Andrew grins at him. “You only bought icing sugar… to make cookies?”

“I was distracted!”

“Okay.”

***

“And so I just sift?” Ryan asks, unsure. 

“Mhmm,” Annie confirms distractedly, busy beating butter and sugar together. 

“Like this—”

Ryan chokes on his words and a copious amount of flour. Somehow rather than sift, he sent the whole thing up in a cloud. 

“Oh shit!” Ryan wheezes when he takes a look at Annie. Her shiny black hair is now streaked with powdery white. 

“I’m so sorry,” he says, reaching for a clean towel. He starts clumsily rubbing it in, spreading it rather than actually helping. “Fuck,” he says under his breath.

Annie stills his hand. “It’s okay, come on.” Without letting go of his hand, she leads him to the bathroom. On the way, she grabs an old towel from the linen closet, which makes Ryan think that she might spend a lot of time here. 

“It’s just like dry shampoo, right?” she says, and he doesn’t know why she closes the bathroom door behind them, but she does.

God, his heart is beating fast. 

She lets go of his hand, which all of a sudden feels cold and empty, and bends over the bathtub so that her hair hangs in her face. 

“So I just need to shake it off.”

So does Ryan, to be honest. 

He’s stuck in the moment, flexing the fingers that used to hold Annie’s, watching her, not knowing what to do.

“Hand me the towel,” she says.

It takes him a second, but he does, and their fingers brush for half a heartbeat. She covers her head with the towel and shakes and rubs, until the bottom of the tub is covered in a thin layer of snow. She puts the towel down, still bent over.

“C’m’ere,” Annie says. 

“What?” Ryan feels like he’s already  _ here _ enough, anymore  _ here  _ and he’d be standing in the tub. 

“Come check if I got all of it.”

Ryan comes closer, trying his hardest not to touch her butt, because it’s  _ right there _ , the way she’s bent. He leans in. 

“Looks good,” he says, his voice high-pitched and shaky. 

“No,” she says, shaking her hair. “You have to really get in there. Dig in.”

“Oh.”

Ryan reaches a tentative hand, touches her hair as gently as he can.

“Soft,” he whispers, before he can stop himself.

“What?” 

“Nothing.” He digs in deeper, running his fingers through her thick mane, until he’s sure she’s flour-free. 

“All good,” he says, reluctantly pulling his hand out.

She straightens up and turns to the mirror. Her hair sticks out in every direction, but it’s back to its normal lustrous black. 

“I look like a mess.” Annie giggles, trying to flatten it back into place.

“You look beautiful,” Ryan breathes out.

She turns to him, with a soft smile, almost like in slow-motion.

“You’re an idiot, Ryan Bergara.”

Ryan cannot help grinning like the sun is trying to burst out of his chest.

***

“I brought eggnog!” Steven announces proudly, pulling a large jug out of his bag. 

“And I brought bourbon.” Adam grins. “Figured you’d forget to spike it.”

Steven rolls his eyes but he squeezes Adam’s shoulder. “This is why you complete me, Adam.”

Adam’s cheeks take on a pink tinge and he looks away, starts pouring bourbon in mugs.

Kelsey looks from one to the other in confusion as she ties her apron behind her back. Is there something between Adam and Steven? Did she read Steven wrong?

And why does she care?

She probably got swept up in the excitement of a potential new suitor, after spending so many months without a single date. Yep, that’s probably all this is. 

“Oof,” someone says behind her, and Kelsey turns to see Marielle walk in, eyeing her up and down. “I love your dress!” Mari says, taking her hand and making her twirl.

Kelsey’s red skater skirt flutters open like a flower, and so does Kelsey’s heart.

Mari gives an appreciative whistle, still holding her hand like she’s showing her off. Kelsey hopes it’s not obvious that she’s about to pass out.

“Steven,” Mari says, “you got yourself a stunner.”

“Oh, um.” Kelsey clears her throat. “We — we’re not together, Steven and I.”

Steven gives a self-conscious smile. “Yeah, no… eggnog?”

“Oh, sorry, I assumed — thanks,” Mari says when Steven pours eggnog in a mug Adam pre-bourboned. 

Kelsey sidles up to Sara, currently peeling a mountain of potatoes. She doesn’t especially feel like sticking around and discussing who she is or isn’t dating. She picks up a potato.

“Potatoes for cookies?”

“Latkes,” Sara corrects. 

“Oooh, fun! Can I help?” 

“Mmm, sorry, I was actually hoping to peel forty-seven potatoes all by my lonesome,” Sara says, even as she’s handing her a peeler, grinning.

“Oh, I’m ever so sorry, I didn’t mean to screw up your Hannukah plans.” Kelsey starts peeling.

Sara lets out an exaggerated sigh. “It’s fine, I guess I can tolerate the company.”

Kelsey leans her head on Sara’s shoulder, sincere for a second. “Appreciate it.” 

Sara leans in too. “Ditto.”

***

Kelsey’s maybe… two eggnogs in? and grating potatoes the way Sara showed her, when Mari walks over to her, wiping floury hands on her apron. Kelsey envies the way everything Mari does seems so graceful, like she doesn’t have a clumsy bone in her body. Even the way Mari leans against the counter next to Kelsey is sexy, hip jutting out, casually leaning on an elbow, with a look in her eye like nothing in the world outside of Kelsey matters to her this instant. 

Kelsey cannot help a giggle — there’s the bourbon.

Mari pushes a strand of hand behind Kelsey’s ear. “So…” The word stretches on her tongue like the caramel Adam is making on the stove. “Does that mean you’re single?”

Kelsey gives a laugh that’s trying hard not to be bitter. “I mean, it’s kind of my whole brand.”

“Oh,” Mari says, pursing her lips. “I didn’t mean to strike a chord, sorry.”

Mari leans back, ever so slightly, like she doesn’t want to impose. Of its own accord, Kelsey’s hand shoots up to catch her wrist, keep her close. 

“No! I mean, it’s okay, I don’t mind.” She tries for a carefree laugh, hopes she doesn’t sound nuts. 

“Okay,” Mari says, her voice warm like mulled wine. “Cause like… I was hoping you were single.”

Kelsey’s eyebrows shoot up. “But you’re not.”

“Doesn’t mean I’m not available,” Mari says. 

Kelsey looks over at Ryan, nervously, expecting him to look upset, or something, but he smiles at her, and goes back to helping Annie pour icing in a piping bag, all up in her space. 

“Oh.”

“Mhmm.”

“That’s…  _ oof _ .”

“Just think about it.” Mari kisses her cheek and saunters away, when the timer on the oven goes off. 

As if Kelsey could  _ not _ think about it. 

***

Sizzling.

Popping.

A yelp. 

Sara jumps away from the stove, bumping into Adam who catches her by the shoulders, steadies her. 

“Easy,” he mutters. “Y’okay?”

Sara makes no move to step away from him. “It’s — it’s dumb, I just…”

“Scared of the hot oil?”

Sara nods, agitated. “It’s so stupid, it’s Hanukkah, cooking with oil is the whole point —”

“Hey, hey…” Adam rubs her shoulders. “It’s okay, we’ll do it together, yeah?”

Adam starts lowering latkes into the oil with a big slotted spoon, one arm around Sara, trying to shield her as much as he can from the splatters. 

“There we go,” he mumbles, and squeezes her hip.

Batch by batch, all the latkes go through the frying process, coming out a nice golden-brown that delights Sara. 

“They’re perfect,” she whispers. “Thanks, Adam.”

He kisses the top of her head.

“Happy Hanukkah, Sar.”

***

“Steven...” Andrew shakes his head. “If you ice that cookie now, it’s all gonna melt and your snowman will look like a gingerbread puddle. You should wait for it to cool.”

Steven fiddles with his piping bag, accidentally dripping a line of icing down his wrist. “I know what I’m doing! It’s gonna be fine!”

He licks the frosting off his wrist, missing the way Adam stares. 

“Come,” Thespi says, pulling Steven by the hand.

She leads him away from the kitchen, into the living room where a jazz holiday record is playing on the turntable. It’s an open floor plan, they can still see the others, but they’re out of the bakers’ hair.

“A dance or two,” Thespi says, guiding Steven’s hand to her waist. “That should be enough for them to cool down, alright?”

Steven clears his throat, his fingers uncertain on her waist. “Alright.”

She sets one hand on his shoulder, slips the other in Steven’s hand, and takes the lead, figuring — correctly — that he doesn’t know how to dance. She steps into his space, close enough that she can hear the breath catching in his throat, see his Adam’s apple bob as he swallows. He casts nervous glances towards the kitchen, painfully aware that they’re in full view of everyone.

“Relax,” Thespi murmurs, gently pushing his hair away from his forehead. “Andrew’s okay with it. And the others, well…” She trails off, cocks her head towards the kitchen, as if to say,  _ look at them _ .

Ryan is smearing frosting on Shane’s cheek, Shane’s arm around his waist.

Sara is feeding latkes to Marielle and Kelsey, who thank her with cheek kisses.

Annie is sitting on Andrew’s lap, painstakingly cutting shapes out of sugar dough, while Adam takes their picture with a fond look on his face. 

The moment where Steven puts all the puzzle pieces together is unmistakable, and quite frankly, adorable. Thespi cannot repress a chuckle. 

“Good?” she asks, hoping he won’t freak out.

Steven nods, his eyes still wide with shock. 

“I, um… I haven’t kissed anyone, in, like… a long time,” Steven says, in one of his typical non sequiturs. 

Thespi smiles gently. “Do you  _ want _ to kiss someone?”

Steven looks down. “A few someones,” he whispers.

“There’s no rush, sweetheart. Take your time.”

Thespi doesn’t know who moved first but they’re now flush together, chest to chest as they’re swaying, and her belly gives a swoop when his eyelashes flutter back up to look at her.

“Do you… can you do it?” he asks nervously. “Kiss me?”

***

Thespi’s lips taste like eggnog, and Adam was right.

Bourbon makes it better.

***

“Ugh,” Sara groans into Annie’s shoulder. “Why did no one stop me from eating that slice of pecan pie?”

“We tried,” Ryan pointed, “but you said we were, quote,  _ cramping your holiday style _ , unquote.”

Sara groans again, and Annie pets her hair to comfort her. “I can’t move. Ever. Shane, babe, you’re gonna have to roll me home.”

“Don’t be silly,” Thespi says, dropping a huge pile of blankets at Sara’s feet, closely followed by Andrew holding so many pillows he can’t possibly see where he’s going. “You’re staying here tonight. You all are.” 

They would be hard pressed to refuse. Shane built a glorious fire in the fireplace, the pillows are soft, they still got plenty of baked goods for breakfast tomorrow… and Wellington is purring contentedly on Adam’s lap. 

They push the coffee table to the side and build a nest of blankets and pillows, fall into it in a lazy pile of warm limbs, soft touches, and hazy kisses. 

“It’s a good tradition,” Ryan says, kissing Thespi’s shoulder. “I vote we keep it.”

“I vote I keep all of you,” Kelsey mumbles sleepily.

“You have to,” Shane drawls. “ Some of y’all haven’t got your holiday smooch from the Shanester. A promise is a promise.”


End file.
